Every time I cook a frittata, I wonder to myself, "Why don't I make this more often?" Usually nothing more than combining some ingredients in a bowl with eggs, then cooking it almost all the way through on a skillet and finishing briefly under the broiler, it's the ultimate quick meal and a versatile platform for different flavors. Literally, you could put just about anything in a frittata and assuming what you put into it already tastes good together, dinner will be a success.

This recipe, from The Spice Kitchen cookbook, is a relatively unusual pairing of ingredients, but that's what this cookbook is good at doing: recognizing odd affinities between different spices that might not have occurred to you before. In this case, the familiar flavors of pepperoni and mozzarella—which we all know go perfectly together—are gussied up with a little basil and fennel seeds. Now that I think of it, basil fits right in with the mozzarella, and the subtle anise flavor of fennel is welcome. The resulting flavor is more than the sum of its parts—and a nice light dinner before the gluttony of the holidays arrives.

Directions

In medium (10-inch) non-stick skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat until shimmering. Add peppers and onions and cook, stirring often, until onions are golden and peppers are soft, 5-7 minutes. Add garlic and cook for an additional minute, then pour in egg mixture and stir well to combine with vegetables.

3.

Preheat broiler to high. Over medium heat, cook frittata until frittata stops jiggling and sides are just beginning to set, 7-8 minutes, then slide under broiler 6 inches from heating element for 2-3 minutes to cook top. Loosen sides with spatula and slide onto plate. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Born and raised in Chicago, one of Blake's earliest food memories was a Chicago-style hot dog with all the toppings. It was the start of a beautiful friendship.

As a co-founder of The Paupered Chef And a Serious Eats Contributor since the beginning, Blake has been writing about food regularly since 2006. He currently contributes weekly to Dinner Tonight and writes the Chicago-based column Sausage City. He studied professional cookery at Kendall College in Chicago, and is creative director of Jamco Creative, an outfit in Chicago that specializes in social media marketing.

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